Fall From Grace
by Peonywinx
Summary: It starts with an unnerving lunch with an old classmate. It continues with an unexpected, and unpleasant, summons to Oa. It builds with the shocking and explosive trial of the greatest Green Lantern of all. And it ends with a Hal Jordan who is shaken to his very core by the events of an awful day. Or does it?


_**A/N: I like the fact that I'm churning out Diamond Earth tales a little faster now that I've no A-Levels to study for. Five months on since my last story in this universe, and here's another one. This time it's a long oneshot to set up the next multi-chapter story, which will be focused on Green Lantern. For Green Lantern comic fans, y'all should get a kick out of this one - though keep in mind, I've modified the original DC events to tailor them for Diamond Earth.  
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_**For those of you who are new to my universe, it could get rather confusing for you to follow the story - but never fear, you can find out more about it and my other Diamond Earth tales on my profile.**_

**Disclaimer: I don't own Green Lantern, the Green Lantern Corps, or the Justice League.  
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* * *

><p><strong>TALES OF DIAMOND EARTH<br>**

**Fall From Grace**

"It was nice of you to invite me to lunch, Hector. It's been years." Hal Jordan leaned back in the patio-style chair of the Palm Leaf Café as he and his dining companion waited for their orders to arrive.

"It has, hasn't it?" Hector Hammond agreed, stirring his fruit punch. "How are you, Hal? How's Carol?"

"Carol's fine. I'm fine." Hal shrugged easily. "I've been lucky. Life's been pretty good lately." He sipped at his iced coffee, relishing the energy boost the caffeine gave him.

"I see you've developed a taste for coffee," Hector observed. He didn't recall Hal ever drinking that beverage when they attended high school together.

Hal chuckled wryly. "I kind of needed to. My job has me keeping odd hours." Actually, until the ring had chosen him, Hal hadn't been a big fan of coffee. A USAF pilot did have long working hours, but Hal had only truly started needing the caffeine once he became a Green Lantern.

"Which one?"

Hal jolted in his seat and stared at Hector, who was puzzled by his reaction.

"What?" Hal asked – a bit nervously, Hector noted.

"Which job?" Hector clarified. "I know you're USAF, but you have some sort of deal with Ferris Aircraft as well, don't you?"

"Oh." Hal relaxed, relieved that Hector hadn't somehow found out about his Green Lantern activities. "It's not really a job," he explained. "Carol only calls me in occasionally, and I don't get paid. I just do it to help her out."

"Ah." Hector nodded knowingly. Even in high school the two of them – Hal and Carol – had been a 'thing'. "So it's USAF keeping you up. Are you on night flights?"

"For the next month," Hal affirmed morosely. He didn't mind the night flights itself – he was only called in to fly certain nights a week, and by now his double life had thoroughly converted him into a veritable night owl – but it made fulfilling League duties a pain in the neck. Since he was virtually 'on call' for any night flights USAF planned for the month, he was unable to take monitor duty at night. Thus, he was stuck spending his afternoon hours on the Watchtower three times a week, on what had to be the most boring shift (nothing ever happened), with nothing but himself, a packet of chips, and a few magazines for company. It was so dull Hal had had to find himself a new hobby: watching security footage from the Watchtower cameras. As far as hobbies went, it wasn't the greatest, but at least it livened up the shift somewhat, and he had come across a few noteworthythings to boot – for example, certain conversations between Batman and Wonder Woman were extremely _interesting_, to say the least.

Hal was hoping that once Black Canary came back from maternity leave (her baby son had been born last December) and their newest member assumed full League status (Dr. Ray Palmer only taught morning classes), the duty roster would be updated, with less afternoon shift time for him.

Hector shrugged. "Night shift isn't so bad once you get used to it."

"How would you know, Mr. I-work-for-the-government?" Hal retorted. "I know for a fact government scientists have regular hours."

"I don't work _for _the government," Hector corrected, a little testily. "I work _with _an independent, government-sponsored agency. And I'm not supposed to talk about it, so drop it."

Hal held up a hand. "All right, sorry. I didn't mean to pry."

Hector exhaled. "It's fine. I'm just a little uneasy these days."

"Why?" asked Hal. "What's wrong?"

"All the superhumans and aliens around are getting on my nerves."

"Oh." Hal blinked, mentally cringing at the thought of the Green Lantern ring in his pocket. "How come?"

"Hal," Hector said patiently, "do you know how powerful they are?"

"Well, yeah, there are a few who are real powerhouses…" _Boy, do I ever know that._

Hector nodded. "Exactly. It doesn't feel safe with so many metas around. They could do some serious damage to us normal humans."

"Well, that's what the Justice League is for, right?"

"And if the Justice League suddenly decide they've gotten tired of protecting us?" asked Hector. "What then?"

"They wouldn't do that," Hal said at once. He knew his teammates, knew none of them would ever abuse their power.

Unfortunately, Hector didn't have the benefit of that insight. "How can you be sure?" he questioned. "We don't know what goes on in their heads. It's far too easy for them to give in to the temptation to use their powers to oppress us."

Where was this coming from?"You sound like you're really against superheroes," Hal observed.

"No. I'm just wary of the potential threat they pose."

Hal was starting to feel very uncomfortable about the direction the conversation was taking, so he tried to change the subject.

"So, apart from work, what have you been up to?"

Hector actually smiled. "Well, I've got my own little project…"

He was interrupted by a sharp beeping from Hal's pocket. Hal's face assumed a slightly panicky expression as he dug out his cell phone and looked at the screen.

"Sorry, Hector, I'm gonna have to take a rain check on lunch," he apologized, already standing up as he tossed a few bills onto the table.

"Something wrong?" Hector asked.

"I'm not sure, but I need to check this out. It was good seeing you again. Sorry, man." So saying, Hal hurriedly crossed the road and turned the corner.

Hector frowned, feeling that something rang slightly false about Hal's exit. He quickly ran through their conversation in his head. _I wonder…_

* * *

><p>Hal ducked into a nearby alley and heaved a sigh of relief. After the unnerving discussion he'd just had with Hector about metabeings, the last thing he wanted was for his old friend to discover that he'd been lying.<p>

Because it wasn't his cell phone which had beeped. Of course it wasn't.

He shoved his phone back into his pocket and pulled out his Lantern ring, staring at it. Right on cue, it beeped again, glowing green as it did so.

A summons to Oa. "Fantastic," Hal muttered. He slipped his ring on; instantly the green energy changed his shirt and slacks to his Green Lantern uniform. Hal reached up with his fingers to make sure his mask was in place before flying off.

Tomar-Re greeted him at the entrance to the Lantern Corps Headquarters. The Xudarian's face was much more solemn than it usually was, and that was scary.

"Tomar, what's happening?"

"Jordan, I'm sorry," Tomar said gravely. "It's about Sinestro."

A chill ran up Hal's back. "Is he okay?" he demanded. _I knew it, I _knew _something was wrong…_

Tomar shook his head. "The Guardians will explain. You're wanted in the antechamber."

"But I don't understand," Hal protested.

Tomar's face was sad. "You will. Now go."

A hundred scenarios blazed through Hal's head. He dreaded what the Guardians had to tell him. Sinestro was injured or killed on a mission, Sinestro was being held captive by a hostile species, Sinestro was lost in space…

Full of anxiety, Hal flew as fast as he could to the antechamber that was annexed to the Hall of the Guardians, where the Guardians held council. Lianna, the only female Guardian of Oa, was waiting for him there.

"Jordan," she greeted. "Thank you for coming so promptly."

"What's going on?" Hal inquired. "What's wrong with Sinestro?"

Lianna's face darkened. "Sinestro is being put on trial."

"_What?_" Hal was shocked. "What for?"

"Crimes against Korugar."

"_WHAT?!_" Why in Oa would Sinestro be committing crimes at all, let alone against his own planet?

"Jordan," Lianna said firmly, "Sinestro has abused his powers as a Corpsman to oppress Korugar."

"That can't be right, Sinestro would never –"

"_Listen_, Green Lantern," Lianna reprimanded. "You must discard all you knew about Thaal Sinestro. We have called you here to bear witness to his trial because he is your mentor and therefore, this matter affects you as well."

Hal read between the lines for the fine print: _We are concerned about what he has been teaching you._

"Once we enter the Hall, you are not allowed to interrupt or interfere with the proceedings in any way. The Guardians will conduct the trial and pass their sentence after reviewing all the evidence. Sinestro will have a chance to defend his actions, and anyone who wishes to speak for or against him will be allowed to say their piece."

"Hold on – how many people are attending this trial?"

"Only those who are closest to Sinestro. We do not wish to publicize this affair, so we want as little of an audience as possible. You were the last to arrive."

Hal took this all in, somewhat dazedly. He wondered if this were a dream.

"_Jordan._" Lianna's no-nonsense voice assured him this was no dream. "We shall enter the Hall now. Do you understand what is about to happen?"

Hal nodded reluctantly. "Yes."

"Then we shall proceed." She pushed open the doors and they entered the Hall of the Guardians.

Hal had been in this room only twice before: once at his induction and once for a discussion upon the completion of his training as a Green Lantern – Sinestro had had several positive remarks to make about his performance then. Now, however, Sinestro was the one standing in the center of the Lantern insignia etched on the floor, looking up at the Guardians seated on their towering chairs. Sinestro glanced quickly at Hal as Lianna took her place among the Guardians; but his face was blank – Hal was unable to read what his mentor might be feeling or thinking. With a sense of impending doom, Hal made his way to the gallery where a few other Green Lanterns, including Salaak and Kilowog, already sat.

"The trial of Green Lantern Thaal Sinestro of Sector 1417 shall now commence," Ganthet, as the lead Guardian, announced the beginning of the proceedings. "Thaal Sinestro, you have been brought to trial on charges of unwarranted and unsanctioned oppressive measures against the people of Korugar, including enslavement of the local populace, restrictions of personal freedoms, and dictatorial rule assumed by yourself. A Corps investigation has revealed substantial evidence to support these accusations."

_Investigation? _Hal's mind reeled. How long had the Guardians suspected that Sinestro was no longer a man of integrity? Hal himself still wasn't sure if he believed it or not.

As Appa Ali Apsa began listing all the evidence uncovered against Sinestro, Hal let his mind ponder over the last ten months. Sinestro hadn't started getting moody until around the end of August last year, and Hal had the sense that he had been struggling within himself during that period. By November, Sinestro's mood had improved, but there had been something…off. Hal hadn't wanted to think too much into it, but it was clear now that whatever led Sinestro down this path began last August.

Appa Ali Apsa had gone through all the evidence by now. Ganthet asked, "How do you plead, Green Lantern?"

Hal leaned forward to hear the answer.

Sinestro stood straight and tall, and his voice was clear as he responded. "Not guilty."

The Guardians of Oa were known for their apathy, but even they raised a collective eyebrow at Sinestro's denial.

"Very well," said Ganthet. "You will be allowed to defend yourself once we have heard the witnesses' testimony of the case."

So saying, he waved forward the Alpha Lanterns (the branch of the Corps who served as Internal Affairs officers) who had undertaken the investigation into the complaints from Korugar: Arkkis Chummuck, Boodikka, and Varix. One by one, each gave their own detailed account of what they had discovered. With each Lantern that gave their testimony, Hal's heart sank further. Hearing them describe the situation on Korugar in clear, succinct terms gradually left him with no choice but to admit that Sinestro had erred horrifically. Hal knew Arkkis and Boodikka quite well, and he knew they took no joy from having to condemn the man who had once been considered the greatest of all Green Lanterns – but the integrity and honor of the whole Corps was at stake. Sinestro had done wrong – he had acted as a dictatorial warlord instead of a galactic peacekeeper – and it was the Corps' responsibility to punish it, no matter that he was one of their own.

Along with the sense of shame about what Sinestro had done, Hal also felt hurt. Here was his mentor, his friend, whom he had admired and respected – the one person he'd looked up to more than anyone else in the Corps – and Sinestro had turned around and proved that Hal's high regard of him was misplaced. It was the kind of hurt Hal would have felt were any of his League teammates to go rogue.

And all of a sudden, Hal began to see what Hector Hammond meant.

Meanwhile, Sinestro had apparently objected to something that had been said, because Ranakar was telling him, "The investigatory squad has given, in their testimonies, full support that the charges levelled against you are truth. In addition, we have signed statements from the people of Korugar relating the situation there."

"We also have one additional witness," Lianna added. "An inhabitant of the planet Korugar, as it happens. She can provide firsthand testimony to corroborate the already substantial reports provided by the investigatory squad."

Sinestro at first looked slightly taken aback that someone from Korugar itself had come to Oa to testify against him, then ire flickered across his face.

"The Council calls Katma Tui to testify."

Hal watched as a Korugaran woman walked down from one of the more secluded gallery seats, where she had been sitting and observing with such silence and stealth that her presence had not been noticed by any except the Guardians and the Alpha Lanterns.

Sinestro's face twisted when he saw her, but he said nothing. Katma Tui's expression was hard as she assumed a spot on the floor outside the etched Central Power Battery symbol. Her voice as she gave her testimony was bold and impassioned. She spoke of Sinestro's forceful takeover, of his subjugation of the Korugarans, of the martial law he'd implemented, of the atrocities he'd committed. She briefly described how she had led the rebellion against him that ultimately attracted the attention of the Guardians and spurred them to send the Alpha Lanterns to investigate.

By the end of her speech, Sinestro's face was black as a thundercloud, and Hal could no longer even try to pretend that this wasn't happening.

Appa Ali Apsa steepled his fingers as Katma returned to the gallery. "Well, Sinestro, the evidence appears to be conclusive."

"How do you defend your actions?" asked Herupa Hando Hu.

Sinestro had been waiting for this. He drew himself up proudly and delivered his justification in strong, resolute tones. "I have done nothing wrong. You, as Guardians, entrusted me with the power of the ring to protect and safeguard Sector 1417, to keep the peace, according to what I deemed necessary. You yourselves gave me the authority to use my judgment to enforce galactic law and peace, as I saw fit. That is what I have done, no more, no less."

"We selected you because we trusted that your judgment would help you to carry out your duties as a Green Lantern," interjected Basilus. "However, the situation on Korugar – your own homeworld – indicates that that judgment has fallen short of what we expect of you."

"There are no set rules regarding how a Green Lantern must regulate his sector," argued Sinestro.

"No," Ganthet agreed calmly. "But a Green Lantern is expected to be of the highest moral standing, and to carry out their duties with benevolence and integrity – which you have not."

"But I have –"

"Quiet, Sinestro," Lianna silenced him. "You have said your piece; now we must hear from others." She glanced at Ganthet; at his nod, she announced, "The Council calls upon Hal Jordan to come forward."

Hal gulped, feeling the eyes of everyone in the gallery on him, and reluctantly floated down to stand on the judgment floor. He was careful to keep some distance between him and Sinestro, though he flashed an apologetic look at his mentor as he did so.

"Hal Jordan, given the circumstance of the trial of your mentor, we find it necessary to put forth certain questions to you, as you had the misfortune to be his pupil at the time when he strayed from what a Green Lantern should be," Ganthet said. "We require that you answer our questions truthfully, without deceit or concealment. Do you give your word as a Green Lantern to do this?"

"I do."

Herupa Hando Hu started the questioning. "Did you have any awareness of what Sinestro was doing on Korugar?"

"No," Hal replied. "I had no idea."

"Would you have come forward if you had?"

Hal hesitated, his gaze flickering from the Guardians to Sinestro, then back again. He knew he was being tested – the Guardians wanted to be sure that Sinestro's influence on him as his mentor would not lead him to similarly abuse his power and authority as a Green Lantern.

"I would," he finally answered, quietly. He could not fail to notice the look of angry disappointment that flashed across Sinestro's face.

"You don't sound so sure," Ranakar accused.

"Sinestro was – is" – Hal wasn't sure whether to use past or present tense – "my mentor and friend. I looked up to him and respected him. But if I had known what was happening, my conscience wouldn't have allowed me to stay silent."

Lianna, Appa Ali Apsa, and Basilus nodded, seemingly satisfied with his response. Herupa Hando Hu, too, appeared to accept it. Ganthet's face remained stoically neutral. Only Ranakar did not look entirely convinced, but Basilus had already moved on to the next question.

"What can you tell us about Sinestro's role as your mentor? Did you find him a good teacher?"

Hal nodded. "Yes. He was patient, for the most part, very thorough, and he made sure I knew all the proper protocol. He explained exactly what was expected of me, and helped me understand my responsibilities. He guided me very well." Which was why Hal couldn't fathom how Sinestro, being so well-versed with the ins and outs of the Corps, had thought it a good idea to oppress Korugar.

"Was there ever anything questionable in what he taught you? Anything that you felt was not quite right?"

"No, never."

"Had you noticed any change in Sinestro's personality or behavior recently?" Appa Ali Apsa inquired.

"Yes," Hal admitted. "He was growing distant, somewhat angrier, less calm. He wouldn't talk much, and he always seemed to deflect my questions when I asked if he was all right. I felt something was bothering him, but I couldn't find out what."

"And why," Ranakar wanted to know, "did you not report this unusual behavior?"

"I didn't think there was anything to report," Hal answered truthfully. "Everyone's entitled to have off days."

Ranakar's face seemed to darken. _Uh-oh, _Hal thought.

"Green Lanterns are not," the Guardian informed him curtly. "Your duties are of such magnitude that if your standards were to falter even slightly, for just a short time, catastrophic consequences could result."

"And in this case," Herupa Hando Hu added gravely, "they did."

_Oh, crap. _Apparently, he'd made a mistake. Hal knew the Guardians took the Green Lantern Corps very seriously. The Guardians expected perfection – with good reason, it must be admitted – and woe betide any Lantern who failed to deliver. Hal was still wondering if he ought to be worried about the Guardians putting him on probation – or worse, taking away his ring altogether – when Lianna spoke up.

"We cannot blame Jordan for Sinestro's actions."

"He should have realized that something was amiss and informed us of Sinestro's change in behavior," Ranakar insisted stubbornly.

"Sinestro was his friend," Lianna reminded him. "I'm sure Jordan did not imagine that Sinestro would stray so far from the ideals of the Corps."

"I," Sinestro interjected heatedly, "am standing right here."

The Guardians barely spared him a look, which only infuriated the disgraced Lantern even more.

Hal, however, allowed himself to feel relieved. He hadn't thought any of the Guardians would come to his defense, but it seemed only natural that Lianna did. Aside from being the only female Guardian of Oa, Lianna was also the most expressive. Whereas the other Guardians maintained a certain degree of apathy in whatever they did, Lianna had never had any problems showing her emotions. Hal had at first assumed that this difference was due to Lianna being female, but conversations with Tomar-Re and Kilowog had revealed that Lianna's background was unique from the other Guardians.

Millennia ago, when the original homeworld of the Guardians, Maltus, had been destroyed in a chaotic, universe-altering event, the Maltusians who would later become the Guardians separated – the males relocated to Oa, while the females migrated to another planet called Zamaron. Unlike their male counterparts, the female Maltusians, now the eponymous inhabitants of Zamaron, chose not to participate in the grand goal of combating evil and creating order in the galaxy. Lianna was the sole exception, and she joined the other Guardians in establishing the Green Lantern Corps to harness the power of green Will. However, she disagreed with the notion of discarding all emotion – as the others did in order to become objective Guardians – and opted instead to become the emotional core and voice of the Guardians. Lianna used her emotional insight to intervene when she felt the other Guardians' apathy was being taken too far – as she was doing now.

In Hal's personal opinion, the Green Lantern Corps was fortunate to have Lianna as a voice among the Guardians that understood the emotional perspective. Even more fortunately, Ganthet was not quite as apathetic as the other Guardians, and often listened to Lianna even if the others did not – and as he was the Head Guardian, this boded well for any Lantern who found themselves in trouble for making a decision based on emotional rather than objective reasoning.

The same held true for Hal's current situation. "I agree with Lianna," Ganthet spoke up. "Hal Jordan has proven he is fit to wear the ring. I do not believe Sinestro has corrupted him."

"Nor I," Appa Ali Apsa agreed; Basilus and Herupa Hando Hu nodded to indicate their concurrence, and Ranakar conceded the point.

"Very well," he said. "Jordan, you may return to your seat."

Hal thankfully flew back to the gallery. Kilowog clapped an encouraging hand on his shoulder.

"The time has come for the Council to make a decision regarding the verdict," Ganthet announced. "Guardians, how do you find?"

As one, the other Guardians returned, "Guilty." Sinestro scowled. Ganthet nodded.

"Thaal Sinestro, you have been tried by the Council and hereby found guilty of all charges brought against you. You have failed in your responsibilities as a Green Lantern. Hear now your sentence. You shall be stripped of your ring and your rank as a member of the Green Lantern Corps. You will no longer hold any authority or responsibility over Korugar or the rest of Sector 1417. Furthermore, you are forthwith banished to Qward to live in exile."

Sinestro's features twisted into an expression of rage Hal had never seen on his face before – it was quite frightening.

"I have given years of devoted service to you, and this is how I am repaid?" he spat. "All your talk of order and lawfulness, and yet when direct action is taken you condemn it." He yanked off his power ring and viciously threw it to the floor, where it bounced with a clatter that rang noisily throughout the hall. "Here. Take back your ring. It is but an instrument of your hypocrisy. I am ashamed that I ever considered it an honor to wear it."

More than one Lantern in the gallery was shocked to see Sinestro react so violently. Hal was especially pained to witness such an ignominious end for the once legendary Green Lantern. Lianna looked angry and Ganthet and Ranakar were both frowning, but the other Guardians remained as stoic as ever as Arkkis and Boodikka escorted Sinestro out of the hall. Very soon, the former Corpsman would be transported to Qward to fulfill his sentence of exile.

Sinestro had the final say, though. As he was led away, he declared, "I will return one day, Guardians, and I _will_ have revenge. This is a mistake you will not forget."

* * *

><p>"Hal?" Arisia Rrab tentatively approached the corner of the roof where Hal had sequestered himself. When he looked up, Arisia could see the troubled expression he was trying to keep off his face, and her heart filled with sympathy. "I'm sorry. I heard about Sinestro."<p>

Hal scoffed. "I'm pretty sure the whole Corps has heard by now."

Arisia did not deny it. "Are you all right?" Hal gave her a look, and she backpedaled. "Okay, stupid question." She came to stand beside him, allowing her fingers to brush across where his hand rested on the ledge. "Did the Guardians give you a hard time?"

Hal sighed. "They asked me some questions, but it wasn't too bad."

"Lianna?" Arisia guessed. Hal nodded.

Arisia laid her hand on top of his, causing him to turn his face towards her. "It's going to be okay, Hal."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome." She smiled at him, and Hal found himself cracking a small smile in return. After a moment, Arisia withdrew her hand. "Look, here come more friends." She nodded towards the stairwell; Tomar-Re and Kilowog were making their way towards them.

"How you doing, poozer?" Kilowog inquired as he and Tomar drew closer.

Hal shrugged. "I guess I'll be all right."

"We are here for you if you need it," Tomar offered.

"Thanks." Hal paused. "Has anything like this ever happened before?"

Kilowog shook his head. "Nope. There were a few cases of insubordination, vengeful actions, and using the ring for entirely wrong reasons – but nothing quite like this."

"The Guardians take great care when selecting Green Lanterns," Tomar added. "Their judgment is usually impeccable."

Arisia snorted softly. "Then what does that say about us as an organization?"

They stared at her in confusion.

"What are you talking about?" asked Kilowog.

"Come on," said Arisia. "Sinestro was the best of us, and he failed spectacularly." She noticed Hal's pained wince, and her hand found his again, squeezing in comfort. "If the Guardians' greatest success in the Corps turned out to also be their worst mistake, what does that say about their judgment and the Corps' ideals?"

"Arisia," Tomar said warningly, "Do not judge the Green Lantern Corps by the mistakes of one man."

"You can't tell me this whole debacle hasn't made you reconsider the way we blindly follow the Guardians? When Sinestro's proven that they're not infallible?"

"Nobody's perfect, Arisia," Kilowog reasoned.

"I understand why this incident would make you question whether giving the Corpsmen so much power is the right thing," said Tomar. "Second-guessing is completely natural after such a tumultuous occurrence. But you should remember that the Green Lantern Corps has been in existence for centuries, and despite its occasional flaws, it has done a remarkable job of keeping the peace."

"Could we, maybe, quit talking about this?" Hal said in a strained voice, pulling his hand from Arisia's, who instantly looked contrite.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Hal," she apologized. "I should have realized you wouldn't want to hear all this now."

Hal sighed. "Just…forget it." He couldn't tell her it wasn't just Sinestro that was bothering him – Hector Hammond's worries about rogue metas suddenly didn't seem so paranoid anymore, and the emotional gut-punch of Sinestro's fall from grace had left Hal questioning whether his unshakeable trust in his League teammates _should_ be shaken. Nothing made you doubt your alliances like a betrayal – and though Sinestro hadn't actually betrayed him personally, he had betrayed the ideals of the Green Lantern Corps, which was what he had taught Hal to fight for.

A gentle hand landed on his shoulder. "I know it's hard," Tomar said sympathetically. "But try not to doubt the Corps – or yourself. Sinestro's actions were his own – they should not, and do not, reflect on the Corps as a whole."

"Yeah," Kilowog chimed in. "Listen, Jordan, I know you feel like crap right now, and it's hard to see past what Sinestro did – but don't let it eat you up. You're a damn fine Lantern – and you should continue to be one even without Sinestro. Because we don't do this for our mentors or the Corps or even the Guardians, poozer. We do this because we were given the power to protect the people of the galaxy, and _they _are who we do this for."

Hal imagined that Kilowog's words should have made him feel better, since they echoed the ideals and goals that had so inspired the Justice League's Original Seven they had written them up in the organization's charter; but although they were uplifting, they did not ease the pain of Sinestro's betrayal, nor did they assuage Hal's own newly-conflicting emotions about the power he had at his disposal, which stemmed from both the trial and his conversation with Hector.

Nevertheless, Hal forced a smile. He reminded himself that the Corps and the League were similar in their primary purpose to protect people, and that those who truly believed in that goal would do so to the best of their ability, and they could not – should not – have aspersions cast on them because of the selfish actions of one individual. Sinestro's trial and sentencing was a black mark on the Green Lantern Corps, but ultimately, it was a small thing in the history of an organization so well-entrenched in its ideals and purpose. Of course, it would be a while before the upheaval caused by today's happenings settled – there were things still to be done, like selecting a new Green Lantern for Sector 1417 (Tomar was already suggesting Katma Tui) and rehabilitating Korugar – but Sinestro, for all his greatness before he had fallen, had only been _one _Corpsman.

All this Hal told himself, but the day's events had shaken him to his core, and he needed time to sort through his emotions. Realistically, it would likely be several days before he could regain the peace of mind he'd had before today. He had a lot to think about.

For now, to appease Kilowog, he said, "You're right."

"'Course I am," said Kilowog, pleased that his speech had apparently had the intended effect. "I'm your drill sergeant – I'm _always _right."

Arisia rolled her eyes, but she, too, was smiling.

Hal, however, stared down at the ring on his finger.

It had never felt heavier.

* * *

><p>"<em>We're sorry, but the number you have dialed is out of range."<em>

Carol Ferris scowled as she redialed Hal's cell number. Although she knew it wouldn't make much difference – out of range was out of range – she was hoping the lines had just gotten messed up, because _no way _was Hal not around when she needed him to pilot the new fighter plane before it was presented to the USAF tomorrow morning. Ferris Aircraft had other test pilots, of course, but Hal was USAF, and there was a high possibility that he would be assigned one of the planes – and Carol, grudgingly, had to admit that she would trust no one but him with testing this particular aircraft.

But of course, as had become increasingly frequent lately, Hal had seemingly vanished off the face of the Earth.

"…_the number you have dialed is out of range."_

"Damn it, Hal!" Carol swore, viciously slamming her phone shut even though logically she knew it wasn't the device's fault her errant boyfriend could not be reached. At the rate things were going, she didn't know if Hal could even be considered her boyfriend – he certainly wasn't acting like it, constantly disappearing like this. "Why the _hell _are you out of range?" she seethed at her phone. She knew for a fact that he was in Coast City – he'd mentioned having a lunch appointment with Hector Hammond…_wait._

Carol flipped her phone open again and scrolled through her contacts. She and Hector had been out of touch lately, but they had been pretty good friends in high school and she still had his number. And unlike a certain pilot, Hector probably wouldn't be _out of range_.

Sure enough, her old friend answered on the fourth ring. _"Dr. Hammond."_

"Hector, hi," Carol said with genuine warmth.

"_Carol?" _There was surprise in his voice.

"Yeah, it's me. Listen, is Hal with you?"

"_No. He cut our lunch short – he got a phone call and had to leave."_

Carol resisted the urge to scream. Typical.

"_Something wrong?" _Hector queried.

"No, no," Carol assured him. "Just Hal being an ass…again."

"_Ooh, you don't sound happy. Did you two fight?"_

"We would have," Carol affirmed, "if he were _here_ for me to fight with."

On the other end, there was a pause; Hector had obviously picked up on her aggravation.

"_This isn't the first time this has happened, is it?"_

"Damn right it's not," Carol agreed. She suddenly felt the need to vent to someone about her frustrations concerning Hal. "I don't know what happened…Hal's been distant and vague, and he doesn't seem to have time to be around anymore…he keeps coming up with excuses and I keep wanting to believe him, but…I get the feeling he's hiding something from me." There was no answer from the other end. "Hector?"

_"When did this start?"_

Carol huffed, thinking. "I don't know, it's been going on for a while. Maybe, three years?" Then she abruptly snapped back to her current situation – Hal was nowhere to be found and she was still short a test pilot. "Ugh, never mind my ranting…I'm sorry for bothering you, Hector."

_"It's no trouble," _Hector replied smoothly. _"Hal's my friend too."_

"Yeah, well, right now he's AWOL, and I need to find another pilot. I gotta go."

_"All right. Let me know if you hear from him."_

"Will do," Carol agreed. "Bye, Hector."

She ended the call and dialed the number of her company's most qualified employed test pilot as she walked down the street. Something lying on the edge of the sidewalk caught her eye, distracting her from the dialing tone; she had just bent down and discerned that it was something small and purple before Ace Morgan answered her call.

_"Carol, what's up?"_

Carol tore her eyes away from the mysterious object long enough to tell him what she needed; Ace agreed readily enough, and Carol was thankful that he didn't ask about Hal, even though he knew he was her preferred go-to pilot in cases like this.

Carol would have continued on her way then – she had a test flight to oversee, after all – but the object on the sidewalk had captured her interest. As she tucked her phone back into her purse, she bent closer to examine the purple thing.

* * *

><p>Hector leaned back in his chair, frowning in thought. After Hal abruptly left midway through their luncheon, Hector had returned to his home to write out a report for Amanda Waller. It had been going along splendidly, and he hadn't spared a thought for Hal's odd behavior until Carol called. Their brief conversation was enough to tip him off that what happened at lunch was apparently not a one-time thing.<p>

Hector thought back to when Hal had left the Palm Leaf Café, phone in hand – only the screen had been dark, hadn't it? And Hal had been oddly defensive on the Justice League's behalf…almost unwilling to consider the possibility of metas going rogue…

Hector's frown deepened. Something was definitely going on. _Three years… _he mused, his intelligent mind searching through dates and events to match.

All of a sudden his eyes narrowed with suspicion. It couldn't be…could it? Hector once again ran through all the facts. "Hmm…"

It might not be true, but he had a duty to look into it. It was certainly a possibility. And it was with a thoughtful expression that Hector Hammond rose to leave to conduct his research at S.T.A.R. Labs.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Yep, cliffhanger ending. Hopefully I've whetted your appetite for what's to come. **__**The summary for the next installment is on my profile, and I will keep you updated there about the progress of the story. **__**I'm maybe a third of the way through the Green Lantern fic - called **Brightest Day, Blackest Night **- and I've long since learned my lesson about promising a posting date before I've finished a story, but I can tell you that it shouldn't be a very long wait. **_

_**Until the next Tale of Diamond Earth!**_


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